When Student Guilt

Is A Foregone Conclusion

To the Editor:

When I read the article “Board of Education Reviews Modifications to Several District Policies” in The Newtown Bee, page A7 (October 5, 2001), I chuckled to myself. The paragraph that includes…responsibility for damage done on school property…if after the student has been given the opportunity to give his/her side of the case…is actually no laughing matter. But after living through a situation with one of my children at the high school along that vein, I know there is no such thing as the student’s side of the case. The school employee will always be determined “in the right” even if there is absolutely no physical evidence. Keep in mind that, because an accusation will most likely be made by school personnel – be it a school guard or teacher – the administration is compelled right from the beginning to follow through with a guilty verdict in order to protect them. Listening to the student’s side of the case is just a formality on the administrator’s part. Any student at any time during their four years at the high school can end up an innocent sacrifice to be flaunted by the administration in the name of zero tolerance.

I was told by Dr Reed, the superintendent, a few years ago that the school system is not a court of law. Isn’t it absurd that there is absolutely no checks and balance where the administration is concerned – the principal backs the employee, the superintendent backs the principal, and the school board backs the administration. The administration shows no fairness and integrity toward the student.

If any modifications are to be made to the “damage to school property policy,” it should be that the school administration is not to be the sole judge and jury. To avoid even one student having to live through the nightmare of being found guilty unjustly, mediators should be randomly appointed to determine if facts and evidence warrant a guilty verdict. I think this would maintain the administration’s zero tolerance and their credibility. At the same time, students’ sense of fairness and integrity would be reinforced outside the home, in a place where they spend much of their day.

The Newtown Board of Education will review their policies before voting at the November 13 business meeting. If you would like more information about these policies, contact the district office at 426-7600.

Marion G. LaPierre

44 Turkey Hill Terrace, Newtown      October 9, 2001